• Spain’s ranking on annual development survey slides one position to 1990 level
• Women’s lot improves in areas of education, participation in politics, workforce

Spain’s ranking in the annual Human Development Report by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) fell by one slot in 2016 to 27th among 188 countries worldwide, but according to the annual UN report women in Spain fared better overall last year than they did in 2015.

Spain’s overall position in 2016 in the annual development index, which ranks countries worldwide on the basis of criteria such as life expectancy, education level, economic and social benefits, and while maintaining the same level as spain held in 2013-14 was nevertheless the country’s lowest ranking on the annual survey since 1990.

At the same tiime, in terms of criteria specific to gender equality and opportunity for women, Spain advanced by one position to reach 15th among countries worldwide — right behind Austria, Luxembourg and Belgium — in areas that include reproductive health, political empowerment and women’s position in the workforce.

According to the 2016 UN survey, 38 percent of Spain’s parliamentary seats are held by women; 70.9 percent of women in Spain have completed a secondary-school education, as compared to 76.7 percent of men in Spain; and women’s participation in the labor force stands at 52.3 percent, as compared to 64.8 percent of the adult male population.